It’s hard to believe that there are only two weeks left in Williamsburg (more fondly known as Thrilliamsburg) this summer. I think coding has really sucked me in this summer, so when it comes to research days, I’ll admit I am very grateful to just immerse myself in a reading that I enjoy and is relevant to my research. But once I do that reading, the real effort is translating it into a few key findings and identifying a research question that is both original and interests me. Yes, I am still in the literature review phase. And no, there is nothing wrong with that, as I am learning rapidly.

After spending the majority of my fellowship assisting my advisors, I am spending the final week working on an independent project. I am examining the racial differences in utilization of several “high technology” procedures used in treating heart attacks. Studies have shown in the past that minority races tend to have lower usage rates for these procedures. I am examining the use of cardiac catheterization, PTCA, and CABG procedures. My goals are to identify if this utilization gap amongst different races is still a problem today, and if so, identify some potential reasons.